Say Cheese
by Rain711
Summary: A new student in Kennedy High stirs emotions in the Satan while Sam's dreams takes on a rather interesting journey [Updated - Finished!!]
1. Default Chapter

**[ Summary] : **  
A new student at Kennedy High stirs emotions in the Satan while Sam's dreams begins to take a very interesting turn… 

**[ Disclaimer] : **  
Everything you recognize belongs to whoever owns the Popular- TV Series. Anything else you might recognize, I must have picked them up from watching   
too much TV 

**[ Note] : **  
Excuse the English cause it's not my first language so if there are mistakes please forgive me… 

Contains slash elements. So, if you're uncomfortable with it or it's illegal for you to read about it, then I suggest you read something else.   
Though what I have written is not explicit, I do not want to offend anyone 

I have this insane obsession with Nicole Julian so this fic is focused on her but I am also Brooke/Sam shipper, so that's in also... 

**[ Warning] : **  
This is my first fic on Popular - TV Series. Since in my country, it had only been shown recently and only in the first season,   
I hadn't had all the characters entirely down yet. Full of loopholes so bear with me... 

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Say Cheese - Part 1

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"KENNEDY HIGH" 

Dean stared at the sign looming above her. She took a deep sigh and stepped into the hallway. In front of her, students were scurrying here and there, heading to their respective classes. She glanced down at the note in her hand. 'Principal Cecilia Hall – Main Office'. 

"Great… where the hell is the main office?" 

She scanned her surroundings and saw a small group of students crowding a locker, chatting merrily. They looked friendly enough, she decided as she headed towards them. 

"Excuse me…" 

Sam turned to find an unfamiliar figure standing behind her. For a moment she thought it was a guy but then, she realized it was a girl, a butch looking girl with short dark hair and black leather jacket. But the smile was warm and friendly. Even a tad shy… 

"Hi…" the girl said. "I'm kinda lost… Can you please point me the way to the main office…?" 

"Yeah, just go straight down the hall and turn left…" 

"Do you know how many cows had to die to make that jacket?" Lily piped up, eyeing the jacket. 

An eyebrow arched up. 

"Lily!" Carmen exclaimed sounding horrified. 

"What? She's practically a walking cowhide!" 

Dean fought the urge to laugh. "If you excuse me…" she said instead. "I'd like to go to see the Principal before class starts… Thanks for the direction…" 

The group watched as the new girl started to walk away but suddenly, she stopped and turned to Lily. 

"By the way, Miss WWF… FYI – This is faux leather…" 

Then she winked and walked away. 

Lily was turning bright red. "Oh, my…" 

"Lily! Are you blushing?" Carmen asked. 

"What…?" Lily protested. "Nobody ever called me that before…" 

"Is that all the reason?" 

Dean stood at the front of the bored looking class as the teacher read her admission slip. 

"Class…" she said at last. "Looks like we have a new student here… A transfer student from LA... De-anna McLeod…" 

"Actually that's Dean-na McLeod…" 

Snickers can be heard from the class. 

"I see… Well, you can just sit anywhere you want…" 

Dean could feel the eyes on her back as she made her way to an empty seat near the window. _Stare all you want… Like I give a shit what you think…_

"Hey…" 

She turned to find the brunette whom had showed her the direction earlier. 

"Hey…" 

Sam smiled. "I'm Sam… Welcome to Kennedy High…" she extended her hand. 

"Dean… Nice to meet you…" Dean smiled. 

"Same here…" 

Sam knocked lightly on Mr. Grant's door and pushed the door open. She stepped inside but then hesitated when she saw Mr. Grant was talking to a student. 

"Oh, sorry for interrupting…" 

Mr. Grant looked up. "No, no…" he said gesturing for her to come in. "Come on in Sam. There's someone I'd like you to meet…" 

The student in the in the chair in front of Mr. Grant's desk stood up and turned. Sam smiled in recognition. "Dean?" 

"Oh, you two already know each other?" Mr. Grant asked. 

"We share a couple of classes…" Dean said, grinning. 

"I see… Then, you'd have no problem with working together then…" 

"Working together?" Sam asked. 

"I just offered myself as the paper's photographer…" 

Dean scanned the cafeteria with its rows of tables. Most of them were filled with young men and women, some were staring at their tray as if a huge glob monster are going to jump out from the watery scrambled egg and some were actually eating the said stuff. Most however, were chatting happily away. 

She herself was seated at a table where the occupants were chatting merrily. Though half of what they were saying doesn't make any sense to her but at least she's not feeling left out and she has Sam to thank. She had introduced her to her friends. 

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of a table not far from them where four girls in cheerleader outfits were sitting. Something about the way they were staring in the direction of her table disturbed her. 

"Is it me or that group of cheerleaders is looking like they're ready to pounce on our table?" 

"Nope, they're really ready to pounce…" Sam answered without even looking up. 

Dean frowned. "You guys have a war going on…?" 

"Only Sam…" Harrison, the only male occupant at the table answered. 

Dean cocked up an eyebrow. 

"See the tall blonde one?" Sam asked. 

Dean spotted the said blonde. Beautiful… she noted. "The anorexic one?" 

"Dean!" Sam practically shrieked. "She's not anorexic…" she added lowering her voice as if she had caught herself short. 

"She sure could use some meat on her bones…" Dean said. "Hell, maybe it's just me… I like women to be a bit meatier…" 

As soon as she made that comment, Dean could feel the questioning eyes on her. She shrugs. "So, I'm a KD Lang fan… Any problem with that?" 

"No…" Sam was quick to answer. "No, we don't have any problem with that… Do we guys?" she looked around the table. Three heads shook from side to side. 

"Good…" Dean said. "Cause I really like you guys and it'll be a shame if we can't hang out just cause I'm gay…" 

"How does it feel to be with a woman?" 

All heads turned to Harrison. 

"That didn't come out right…" he said. "What I meant was, you're a girl and you're also dating a girl… And my bet is that you sleep with girls too…" 

The boy practically turned blue. 

"Okie-dokie…" Dean interjected. "I get the point…" 

"don't tell us that you've got that threesome thingy fetish too, Harrison…" Lily said. 

"I don't understand why male fantasies so often seems to center around two women when you guys are so often inadequate even with one! I can't imagine anything less attractive than going to bed with two gay men…" Carmen said. 

"Well, that's a mouthful…" 

"Sorry..."Carmen murmured. 

"Anyways, what's with skin and bones over there and you Sam?" Dean asked. 

"She's my future stepsister…" She replied between clenched teeth. 

"Ouch…" Dean grimaced. 

"Not to mention Sam's obsession with bringing the Glamazons down and dragging them face first in the mud…" 

"Right with their perfect Prada shoes and even more perfect Donna Karan outfits…" 

Dean picked up her camera and focused towards the 'Glamazon' table. Interesting, she thought. One of the girls noticed the camera and began posing voluntarily. But the lens was not focused on the longhaired blonde. But rather on the shorthaired one who was glaring into the camera. And the corner of Dean's lips curled into a small smile. 

"What the hell are you doing Mary Cherry?" Nicole snapped. 

"Having my picture taken…" Mary Cherry answered 

She then proceeded to pout her lips in a look that was supposedly to be sexy but it only made Nicole wanted to bonk her head with her tray. _She's rich… She's rich… _Nicole repeated to herself silently. She then took a deep breath and turned her attention to her best friend. 

"So, Brooke… How are things at home? Spam giving you shit again?" 

"No…" Brooke shook her head. "She's pretty much ignoring me… Which is fine by me…" she said as she pushed her peas around her plate. 

"Then, why do you look like you're about to pass kidney stone?" 

"I do not…" Brooke said finally looking up. 

"Yes, you do…" 

Brooke shrugs. "I don't know, Nic…" 

"you're still hung up about Josh?" Nicole asked. 

"No… It has nothing to do with Josh…" 

"PMS?" 

"Yeah, I guess that it…" 

Nicole knew her friend was hiding something but she did not want to push her further. Knowing Brooke, sooner or later she'll tell… _Jeez, is that camera still aimed this way? That is really annoying._

"Hey! Stop aiming that thing here!" 

The camera lowered and Nicole found herself staring into pair of dark brown eyes. The owner of the eyes was regarding her with a lazy grin that shot tingles down her spine. 

"Sorry…" the lips moved. Then, it was gone. The eyes and the lips had turned back to listen to what Spam Mc 'Bitch' Pherson was saying. Nicole felt like picking up her fork and jamming it right between her eyes. _Nicole Julian, for god sakes! That's a girl! Albeit a cute one but still, a girl!_

********************* 

Her body jerked with abandon as the tongue traced a ring of fire around her breast. A hand came up, wrapping itself possessively around her breast, the thumb flicking against her nipple, against its rosy peak till she moaned with pleasure. 

Her body was alive, every curve crying out for fulfillment. The desire to be satisfied was overwhelming and she felt her body move rhythmically against her lover, she could feel herself sinking into the depths of desire and she called out… 

"Brooke…!" Sam's eyes flew open. She found herself staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. She was covered with beads of sweat and panting for breath. The remnants of the dream lingers. 

"Oh, god…" 

"Sam! Get up! Or you'll be late for school!" 

Sam had barely made her way into the kitchen when Brooke came out of the kitchen and ran smack into her. 

"Oh, sorry…" She mumbled and without even glancing, she continued to the door and disappeared. A few seconds after that, a car could be heard roaring away. 

"Morning…" 

"Oh, good morning honey…" Jan greeted her daughter giddily. "You got up late today… Did you stay up late writing for an article…? Did you sleep well?" 

_What the hell is she so happy about? Oh, god! Don't tell me she heard me? Shit...Shit…_Thousands of thought began to cramp into Sam's head. But then, she spotted Mike grinning… Like a clam… And goose bumps spread right up her neck…_ Jeez…these two are at it like rabbits!_

"Did you have a pleasant dream?" her mother was saying. 

"Uuhh… Yeah…" Sam managed to mumble. _If you knew what I was dreaming about and with whom, it'll give you a heart attack!_

"I think I better get to school…" 

"What? You haven't had your breakfast yet…" Jane said. 

_Seeing Mike's sated grin had basically ruined my appetite for the rest of the week…_ Sam was tempted to say but she just shook her head. "It's okay mom… I'll grab something on the way… I'm already late…Bye…" And with that she was off like a shot. 

"McLeod!" 

Dean's head snapped up. "Yes Ma'am? Sir?" she asked as Glass stood hands akimbo at the front of the class. 

"If you can tear your attention from Miss Julian's butt for a moment…" 

All heads snapped back to Dean's table at the back of the class, including Nicole who turned into a series of interesting shades of red. 

"Perhaps you could explain to the class the mechanics of how the eyes works?" Glass was saying. 

Dean smiled completely unperturbed. "Well…" she started. "Rays of light pass through the transparent cornea at the front of the eye. The lens then focuses them onto the retina – that's the region packed with light sensitive cells called rods and cones. A chemical change triggers the cells to send impulses through the optic nerve to the brain. The entire process takes about… uh… I dunno… Two thousandth of a second…" 

Glass looked really impressed. "Finally, a student who actually answers my question with an answer…" she said. "Good, McLeod… You have my permission to go back to staring at Miss Julian's butt…" 

Nicole was irritated beyond measure. As soon as Glass turned her back to the class, she turned to the table behind her. "I don't appreciate having my butt stared at and especially not by a dyke like you!" 

_Dammit! There's that smile again, _Nicole fumes. A lopsided grin with a tiny dimple on the left cheek. The face belonged to a fallen angel. Dark, brown twinkling eyes, high cheekbones, and mouth shaped in erotic brooding lines. Her hair tumbles over her forehead in casual layers obviously from running her fingers in it constantly. 

"FYI – I only stared at your butt for the first 15 minutes… After that, I fell asleep…" 

Nicole seriously felt like causing bodily harm at the grinning face but instead, she just huffed and turned around again, forcing herself to concentrate on what Glass was saying. She could hear Spam giggling. Great! Now, Spam would have a hell of a time coming up with damning news about her. Brooke looked over her shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile. 

"God, Dean!" Sam said as they made their way out of the lab. "Did you really stare at Satan's butt?" 

"Satan?" 

"That's Sam's nickname for Nicole…" Carmen explained. 

"Oh…" Dean said. "I see…" 

"Did you?' 

Dean smiled sheepishly. "Yeah… Can't help myself…" she said. "That girl got a really serious set of spotlight and bumpers…" 

"Huh?" 

"Spotlight…" Dean said pointing to Sam's breast. "Bumpers…" points to Lily's derrière who happens to be walking in front of her. "It's a code my brother always use whenever he wants to discuss about girls in front of my parents…" 

Sam burst into a fit of laughter that she had to support herself against Dean's arms. She was virtually hanging on Dean for dear life that she had to stop walking and held Sam in place before she slides onto the floor. The others just shook their heads. 

Brooke watched all this from a distance and she felt a tug of pain in her chest. She looked so beautiful when she laugh, with her hair all strewn about her face. The laughter itself, a rich, wonderful sound… Brooke fought back tears from slipping out as she watched Dean wrap her arm around Sam's waist in the attempt to control her and then, clamping her mouth shut with her hand to muffle the mirth as she guided her out of the hallway. How she wish she was the one holding her… 

"I am so gonna kill that bitch…" Nicole said furiously. "I swear I'm gonna kill her…" She slammed her locker door shut as if imagining the said bitch's head was between them. 

"I think you should take that as a compliment, Nicky…" Mary Cherry said. "I mean your butt must be good enough for even a woman to want to stare at it…" 

"I don't want a dyke staring at my butt, Mary Cherry!" Nicole hissed. 

"Just let it go, Nic…" Brooke said wearily. 

"What do you mean let it go?" Nicole snapped. "She was staring at my butt! Of all people, a dyke!" she said. "I mean, I can accept if it was a boy, hell even Emory but McLeod? The dyke from Hellmount LA?" 

"Actually Hellmount is on Sunnydale…" Mary Cherry said. 

Hearing Mary Cherry's divine intervention just about drove Nicole up the wall. She stormed off towards the Novak. 

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So, tell me.. Is it worth a second episode or not??

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	2. Part 2

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Say Cheese - Part 2

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Brooke heard the car being parked and the sound of footsteps coming up to the house. Then she heard the front door open. She got up from the couch in the living room. 

"Sam…" 

Sam jumped a good few feet upon hearing the voice. She hadn't expected anyone would be at home much less finding Brooke there. "Jeez, Brooke… What are you trying to do to me? Scare me to death?" 

"I'm sorry…"Brooke said quietly. 

_Well, that's different…_ Sam frowned. "Is something wrong Brooke?" she asked. 

"Can I talk to you?" Brooke asked. 

"Sure… What's up?" 

"The new girl… Deanna… Are the two of you close?" Brooke struggled to keep the jealousy out of her voice. 

_God, she looked so cute tilting her head like that…_ "Ermm, Yeah… pretty much…Why?" Sam asked. 

"Nothing…" Brooke said feeling yet again the stab of pain. "Just… About Nicole… She's pretty upset with what happened earlier in Bio Lab… And I was wondering if you could talk to Deanna and tell her not to do that again…" 

Sam had to swallow another attack of the mirth as she remembered what Dean had compared Nicole's assets to. "I'll see what I can do…" 

Brooke nodded. "Okay, thanks…" 

Sam watched her as she sat down again. _What the hell is going on with her?_ She had been acting weird lately. Flustering and fidgeting. What's more disturbing, she only gets like that whenever they were left alone. 

It bothers her. A lot – and for the love of God, she had to fight every fiber in her body not to just go up to Brooke, gathers her in her arms, demolishing whatever demons haunting the love of her life. 

It took her awhile to accept that fact. What started out as eternal hate had turned into affection and before long developed into a full-blown crush. She didn't even know how or why or when but she did and she ached for her. 

Brooke stared blankly at the TV set not really caring about what was on. She heard Sam moved and thought she had went upstairs. But suddenly, she was standing in front of her. It took all effort for her not to look up and gaze into the piercing brown eyes. 

"You okay?" Sam asked bending at the waist so that their eyes were leveled. "You don't look to good…" _Oh, god this was a bad move…_ Sam thought as the all too familiar feeling started to creep up her spine. Her knees were threatening to buckle as she stared into Brooke's eyes. 

"Yeah…" Brooke flustered, aware and alarmed at the closeness between them .Her face was just inches away from hers and if she just lean forward a bit, she could kiss her. "I must be getting down with something… There must be a bug going around…" 

"Hmm…" Sam quickly straightened up before she could do anything stupid. "You want aspirins or something?" 

"No… no…I'm okay…" 

"Okay…" Sam said and she headed to the stairs. 

"Sam…" 

She turned. 

"I…"Brooke looked as if she wanted to say something but then changed her mind. "Thanks for asking…" 

********************* 

"Fucking… stupid phone…" 

Nicole threw her mobile phone against the passenger seat. She cursed even more as she climbed out of the car and kicked its side. _"And even more stupid car!" What the hell is keeping Kevin? The stupid chunk of a guy had been gone for half an hour and still hadn't come back…_

Nicole looked around at deserted street. Perfect timing for the car to go dead on her and the phone running out of its battery. _Oh, why did Kevin have to take this way home anyway? _She took her bag and started to walk. _Where is the payphone when you need one?_

She walked as quickly as the uneven ground could permit. She glanced around her at the lights scattered here and there in the otherwise dark street. As she hurried along it occurred to her that she was a solitary female, alone in the dark in what was purported to be a crime-ridden neighborhood. The thought sent fear racing up her spine. 

Heavy footsteps suddenly thudded in the dirt behind her, and Nicole's heart gave a leap of terror. She quickened her pace, and the unidentified footsteps moved more quickly too. Panicking, Nicole broke into a stumbling run. Suddenly, she saw a figure stepping out from a shadowy building in front of her. 

"Help!" she cried. "There's someone - " Her foot struck something and she soared through the air, her mouth open in a silent scream, her arms flailing for balance, and landed sprawling face down in the dirt at the stranger's feet. 

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" A voice asked in angry concern. 

Nicole braced herself on her forearms. When she lifted her chagrined gaze from the oddly familiar Doc Marten boots to the face looking down at her, she immediately turned crimson red. _Of all the people in the world…Why does have to be her?_

"Auditioning for the circus… And for an encore I usually fall off a bridge…" 

Dean laughed as she took her firmly by the shoulder and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay?" 

"Fine…" Nicole retorted. 

"What were you running away from?" 

At the same very moment, a pack of dogs came running past them. Dean stared at the pack for a moment before bursting into laughter. "My, cute monsters…" she said. 

Nicole snorted. She snapped her arms away but in doing so, she almost lost her balance. Strong hands steadied her. 

"Whoa, take it easy there…" Dean knew she shouldn't be teasing her but god, that pout is too adorable to resist… "Can you walk?" 

"For miles…" Nicole assured her unsteadily. Every muscle in her body was protesting, and her left ankle was throbbing painfully. 

"Why don't you sit down and let me take a look at your ankle…" Dean guided her over to the curb and sat her down. She then crouched down. "What are you doing in this part of town anyway?" 

"This is the short cut to my house…" Nicole answered. "The car went bust on us and so did my mobile phone…" 

_Aren't I supposed to be angry with this girl but why am I not? Didn't I just swear that I would kill her?_ Nicole thought. But here she is, staring at the top of Dean's bent head. 

"Uh-huh…" Dean began to unbuckle the thin strap to her sandal. 

The mere touch of her fingers against her ankle sent amazing jolts of electricity shooting up her leg, and Nicole stiffened with the unexpected shock. Luckily, Dean didn't seem to notice as she carefully explored her calf, moving slowly down toward her ankle. 

"It doesn't seem swollen… Does it hurt at all?" 

"Very little… "Nicole answered. "Not nearly as much as my dignity…" 

"In that case, by tomorrow your ankle and your dignity will probably be fine…" 

Still crouching, Dean cupped her heel in her left hand and reached over to pick up her sandal with her right. Just as she was about to slip the sandal onto her foot, she glanced up at her and her lazy smile sent Nicole's pulse racing. 

"Isn't there some fairy tale about a man who searched for the woman whose foot fits into a glass slipper?" 

"Uh-huh…" Nicole nodded. "Cinderella…" 

"What happens to me if this slipper fits?" Dean asked. 

"I turn you into a frog…" 

For a moment their gazes held. Something flickered in the dark depths of her eyes. And for a brief second Nicole thought it was a flame of sexual attraction that Dean abruptly doused. 

"Nicole!" 

Dean turned to see a tall man running towards them. She quickly stood up. 

"Nicole! What happened? Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine, Kevin…" Nicole said. "Just where the hell have you been?" 

"The gas station was a bit further than I had expected…" Kevin answered. 

"Just count on you to go on a date with an empty tank…" Nicole snorted as she held up her hand to be helped up. Both Dean and Kevin reached out to take her hand. Nicole looked surprised for a moment but then; she took Kevin's hand over Dean's. 

Dean dropped her hand and shoved it in the back of her jeans. 

"Who's this?" 

"She just helped me to get up when I fell down…" Nicole answered. 

The man turned to Dean and eyed her up and down. Taking in the faded blue jeans, denim jacket and black tee shirt. He reached into the back of his pocket and took out a thick fold of money and pulled out several hundreds. He then shoved it towards her. 

"Take it… You sure hell looks like you need it..." 

Dean stared at it. When she looked up again, her expression dark. Her gaze then shifted to Nicole's. Without a word, she turned and walked away. 

"Well, that's rude…" 

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To be continued...

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	3. Part 3

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Say Cheese - Part 3

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"Sammy…" 

The velvety voice whispered huskily as a hand stroked slowly over her body, carefully molding her weakening frame until she was trembling with anticipation, her skin becoming alive with every touch. Sam could feel the slow beat of her lover's heart against her own in a mutual rhythm that sounded like beautifully composed music. Their lips sought each other and met in a lightness that she had not dreamed possible. There was no rush in the kiss; it was tormentingly gentle and slow… 

"Sam! Get up, time to go to school…" 

And all she could see was her white bedroom ceiling… 

"Oh, I love this picture…" Sam said. "It just captures Satan… Look at her eyes!" She was sitting crossed leg Indian style in the newspaper office floor while pictures were scattered around her. Dean was sitting at her desk. 

"Took it at the time she was about ready to kill me…" Dean said. 

Sam froze when she came to the next picture. It was of Brooke. She was very photogenic, she thought swallowing a lump in her throat. It had been a windy day, and she was only in her cheerleader outfit, her skirt flowing around her. The photograph had captured her delicate features in profile with the wind whipping her hair into glorious abandon. 

"This should have been taken in color…" 

"Huh? What?" Dean turned to her, puzzled. 

"Mere black and white couldn't capture her glowing skin, the gold highlights in her hair or the sparkle in her eyes…" 

Dean peered over her shoulder. She frowned when she saw whose picture Sam was holding. "Are you talking about Brooke, your sworn enemy?" 

As if shaken from a dream, Sam straightened up. "Well, you can't deny the fact… that she is beautiful…" 

"You don't go around saying your enemy has a glowing skin and a sparkle in her eyes… Next you'll be telling me she's got great legs…" 

"Well, she does…" Sam murmured under her breath. 

"Dean…" 

"Yeah…" 

"Do you believe in dreams?" Sam asked. 

"I try not too…" Dean answered, not really listening. 

"Have you ever dreamt of kissing another women…" 

Dean looked up in disbelief. "Eh, hello Miss McPherson… In case you don't know what the meaning of the word 'Lesbian' is…." 

"Okay - okay… Stupid question…" Sam laughed. 

"Next question…" Dean said. 

Sam shifted uncomfortably. Although she was facing her back, she could feel Dean's eyes watching her, wondering what the hell had gotten into her. 

"I had this dream… Well, dreams actually…" 

"Okay…" 

Sam got to her knees and turned to Dean. "Swear you'll never tell a soul about this…" 

Suddenly taken aback at the intensity of her tone, Dean just nodded. 

Sam sat back down. "I've been having gay dreams… And since you're the only person who has experience in this, I thought that you could… Well, tell me what does it mean…" 

"I don't know much about dreams…" Dean said. 

"It's nothing like the normal sex dreams… And I know the difference. Cause you know, it's not like I haven't dreamt about sex before, because I have you know…" 

Sam was practically ranting non-stop and Dean was not too sure where it was leading so she just nodded in silence. 

"But this, this is totally real… There was nothing flower scented or out of focus about it…it's sweaty, slippery… body grinding… bed squeaking – lesbian sex…" 

"Okay-okay…" Dean said, on the edge of bursting in laughter. "I get the point…" 

"Each and every night Dean…" Sam said. "I tell you something is wrong with me…" 

"Nothing is wrong with you, Sam…" Dean said. "Its just dreams… A metaphor for an extreme sexual frustration…" 

Sam sat in silence while fiddling with her pen. 

"How long since you've had sex?" 

"Dean!" Sam turned crimson red. 

"What?" Dean asked. "Don't tell me you're a virgin…" 

The blush deepened 

"Oh, god…" Dean was on the verge of falling off her seat as she laughed. "Don't tell me you like Britney Spears…" 

"What's wrong with saving yourself?" Sam was irked. 

"And what do you think Justin Timberlake does every night…? Sing himself to sleep?" 

"Can we get back to my problem here?" 

"I'm sorry…" Dean said amid chuckles. 

"How do you know if you're turning gay?" Sam asked quietly. 

"Well, I don't know about the others but from my experience…Getting turned on just by watching a girl could be a sign…" 

_I get turned on every time I look at Brooke_

"You found yourself always checking the accessories…" 

_Do that all the time…_

"Imagining yourself having sex with that person…" 

_Right-o_

"Having this uncontrollable impulse to beat the shit out of her boyfriend…" 

_Hadn't felt that, but did felt like choking Josh to death every time they kiss_

"Sam… Is there anything in your closet that you want to tell me about?" 

Sam looked down at the photographs scattered around her, and came to rest on the black-and-white photo of Brooke captured in a jump, hanging in mid-air. 

"I love Brooke McQueen…" 

***************************** 

Carmen's mouth formed a perfect 'O' and Lily stared at Sam as if she had grown horns. Meanwhile Harrison looked stumped. Sam looked over to Dean, a worried look in her eyes. 

"So, let me get this straight, Sam…" Carmen was saying. "You're telling us that you're in love with Brooke?" 

Sam nodded. 

"Does Brooke know?" 

Sam shook her head. 

"You're really in love with her?' 

Again, Sam nodded. 

"So, now you're gay?" 

More nods. 

"Okay, I need some chocolate…" Carmen said, fanning herself. 

"Guys, come on…" Sam pleaded. "I can't deny it anymore… If I keep it to myself any longer I'll burst!" 

"And I thought I had issues…" Lily murmured. 

"Look, I don't want to hide from you guys… You guys are my best friends… and you deserve to know the truth…" 

"How could you…?" 

Sam turned to Harrison. 

"You know I like Brooke too… And you let me on as if I had a chance with Brooke…" 

"Harrison…" 

"I have a question…" Lily said suddenly, raising her hand as if she was in class. 

They all turned to her. 

"Brooke is still straight right?" 

Harrison broke into a grin. 

Sam broke into tears. 

"Huh… What's that all about?" Nicole stood at the window looking down into the garden. 

"What Nicky?" Mary Cherry chorused from the bed. 

"Spam's crying…" 

Brooke's ear immediately perked up. "Sam's crying?" she asked looking up from the task of painting her nails. 

"Bawling more like it…" Nicole retorted as she watched Dean held Sam in her arms. 

Brooke came to stand beside Nicole. "Why is she crying?" 

"Don't know… Don't wanna know…" Nicole quipped. 

"Maybe I should go down and check on her…" 

"I think McLeod is soothing her just fine…" She bit her lower lips when Dean's hand began to move up and down Sam's back. _Why the hell does Spam has to cry in Dean's arms when there are three other people there? Hell, Carmen's arms would be more comfy…with all those access flab…_

"Do you think she's sleeping with Sam?" 

"What?" Brooke and Nicole both barked. 

Mary Cherry stepped back a bit, startled. "I mean Dean's gay and all… And you said once Nicky; that you think Sam's confused…" 

"I think we better go down and see what's going on…" Nicole said heading for the door. "Who knows maybe we can find something to hold over her head next time she decided to thrash us in the papers…" she added. 

"So, who died?" 

They turned to find the Glamazons standing behind them. Nicole was at the front, regarding them disdainfully. 

"Nobody, yet…" Dean retorted. "But there will be if you don't shove off…" 

"And here I thought I could come down and see what's bothering our little Miss Muffet…" Nicole said sarcastically. "And maybe offer a shoulder to cry on…" 

"Nic…" Brooke stepped in. "We saw Sam crying and wondered if there's anything wrong…" 

"Nothing's wrong…" Sam said as she finally lifted her tear stained face from the crook of Dean's shoulder. Carmen handed her a facial tissue and she smiled gratefully. 

"Then why are you crying?" Brooke asked. 

"Lily told us a bad joke…" Carmen blurted suddenly. 

"Heh?" Lily piped up, confused. 

"Yeah, really bad joke…" 

Lily boxed Carmen's shoulder. 

"Ouch! That hurts!" Carmen said. 

Then, the five looked at each other and one by one began to giggle. 

"What the hell is so funny?' Nicole asked. But the question remained unanswered as the laughter became louder. "Oh, fuck it… These losers are getting freaky by the minute…" she said as she marched back into the house. 

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To be continued

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	4. Part 4

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Say Cheese - Part 4

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Dean looked up from her book and sighed. Just looking at the algebraic questions gives her migraines. She sighed again and started to scan her surroundings. There were not many students in the library. The tables in front of her were all empty. She began to yawn. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw some movement and she turned. She saw Mary Cherry standing at the far end of her table. _ Mary Cherry? In a library?_

Someone brushed past her and made her turn. Dean's heart skipped a beat. Nicole had just walked past and was heading to the table in front of her. She chose a seat that directly faces Dean. 

Dean bit her lips to stop from grinning. She cursed herself for feeling like a giddy schoolboy at the sight of Nicole. _ No use pining for a girl who's so stuck up that she couldn't even acknowledge her as someone she knew from school._ She looked at everything and everyone in the library but Nicole. 

Nicole could see the discomfort she had put Dean in. And she loved it. It was obvious that the dark haired dyke is attracted to her. The look that she saw in her eyes the other night had confirmed that. 

_ What happens to me if this slipper fits?_

_ I turn you into a frog_

Nicole shook her head. This is not the time to think about that… Not that she always think about the smoky voice and the eyes that looked up at her, with an adorable twinkle. This is the time for a little payback… 

"Nicky…" 

That snapped her attention back to Mary Cherry. 

"You haven't been listening to a word I've said have you?" pouted Mary Cherry. 

Nicole was about to answer her when she saw Dean getting up and heading to the back of the library. "Umm… Mary Cherry…" Nicole started to get up. "Why don't you go out and wait for me in class…" 

Dean skimmed her fingers along the volumes of books in the shelf. She wasn't really looking for anything in particular she just wanted to get away from Nicole. She picked up a book about photography and began flipping through the pages. Suddenly, she felt a hand ran up her spine. Startled, she nearly dropped the book on her foot. 

"Oh, did I startle you?" 

She immediately knew who it was. Slowly, she turned. Nicole was smiling at her. A teasing glint in her eyes. "What do you want Nicole?" 

"Ah, the question is… What do you want?" Nicole said, deliberately licking her lips. 

Dean frowned. W_hat the hell has gotten into the girl? _ She shook her head. "Whatever…" she said, turning away. 

"Now, McLeod… Don't tell me you're not up to the challenge?" 

Dean turned again. "What challenge?" 

"I know you've been watching me…" Nicole said as she took a step nearer. 

Dean could feel the blood pounding in her ears as Nicole again licked her lips provocatively. She continued to come up until she was standing so close, Dean could smell the fragrance of her hair. The sweet, creamy vanilla… 

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Nicole breathed, enjoying the pained look in the brown eyes. She stopped merely an inch from Dean. Then, she ran a hand up her arms. 

"My, you're tense…" she chuckled. Suddenly, Dean's hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. "What do you think you're doing?" Nicole screeched. 

"I want to kiss you…" came the blunt reply. 

"Wh – Wha - at?" Nicole began to panic. Now, she regretted doing this. _ This is not right; the plan is to humiliate her… Not for her to kiss me!_

"And I know you want to kiss me…" the lazy grin began to widened. She moved closer to her and Nicole's back hit the wall. Dean planted her arms on each side of her. Trapping her right in the middle. Her hand slipped up to Nicole's shoulder, her grip tightening as she drew closer to her. 

Nicole felt the searing impression of her fingers and shivered, avoiding her gaze. "I don't want to kiss you…" she said unsteadily, confused and at the same time frightened by the emotions the brown eyes was arousing in her. 

Dean studied her intently. "Now, Nicky…" she murmured, her gaze clouding as she raised her hand to stroke her face. "Don't tell me that if I do this… your knees doesn't go weak…or this…" Her thumb began to trace the line of Nicole's lower lip. "This doesn't make you wonder how it would be like? Would it be soft? Warm…" her voice becoming deeper and more husky. 

"Let me go…" Nicole said shakily as she saw the hungry look in her deep sensual eyes. The impact sent volts of excitement through her. Dean smiled, her eyes lazy and slumberous. 

"Make me…" Dean drawled, pulling her softly towards her. 

Nicole watched her dark head approach with increasing alarm. Dean seemed to move in slow motion. Her heartbeat increased in terrifying proportions, her pulse thudding quickly in her throat as Dean drew nearer with tantalizing slowness. Nicole felt her eyes droop, her lids closing as she automatically titled her head back to meet hers. 

Her mouth fastened on hers with remarkable tenderness. Nicole's pulses leapt with confusion as she allow Dean's long fingers to slide down her back, pulling her still closer to her till she could feel her hard, lean body pressing against her. Her lips parted willingly and the kiss deepened, warm and firm. She kissed Dean back with a passion that surprised her. She ran her fingers through her dark hair, pulling her closer to her, her mind dizzy with emotion. 

Dean drew back slowly. "Remember Nicky…" she said. "Don't play with fire if you're afraid to get burned…" With that, she shoved herself off her and walked away. 

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To be continued

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	5. Part 5

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Say Cheese - Part 5 

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Sam chewed the tip of her pencil as she stared at her paper. Now, what was the point of this article again? She made a face at the article as if it was offensive. Footsteps coming up to the table made her looked up. She saw Josh walking in with Brooke. 

"Hey Sam…" Josh said. 

Sam managed a smile. 

Brooke didn't even glance her way. She sat down at her side of the table and began flipping through her book. 

_Looks like I don't exist today_…Sam thought glumly. 

A heavy thud coming from the table behind them made them both turned. Nicole slammed her books on the table and sat down huffily. 

"Nic, you okay?" Brooke asked. 

Nicole was about to answer her when she saw Dean walking in. She immediately clamp up. 

"Hey babe…" Dean ruffled the top of Sam's head affectionately before heading to her table. She avoided looking at Nicole for she was still angry with her. _ Well, angry and horny at the same time…Bad combination…Better not look at her or she'll lose her ability to think not to mention self control altogether…_

"You two seem very close…" 

Sam heard her voice but she was not sure the statement was aimed at her so instead of answering, she looked around her. 

"I'm talking to you, Sam…" 

"Oh…" 

"You and Dean…" Brooke said. "You two are very close…" 

"She's a good friend…" Sam said. "Helped me in a couple of things…" 

"I see…" Brooke said. "What about yesterday? Did she help you too?" 

"Yesterday?" 

"About the thing that you were crying about…" 

"Oh, that…" _ Nobody but you can help me about that_… Sam thought. 

"I'm sorry if I've offended you…" Brooke said. "I know it's not my business or anything… I just…" 

Sam didn't know what forces had made her did what she did next but she found herself reaching out and placing her hand over Brooke's. "You haven't offended me in any way…" 

Brooke swallowed hard. The warmth from her hand was seeping into hers and went right up to her cheeks. "Sam… I…" 

"Sam!" 

Sam nearly fell off her seat when she heard Harrison's voice. She spun around and glared at him. "Jeez, Harrison…" she said. "You're trying to give me a heart attack or something?" 

Harrison smiled innocently. "I was just wondering if you've finished the lit report…" 

Mumbling expletives under her breath, Sam rummaged through her bag and retrieved a file. She handed it over to Harrison. 

"Thanks…" he smiled sweetly. 

Sam stuck her tongue out at him. Suddenly, something caught her eyes and she stared at Dean strangely. 

"Dean…" 

"Hmm…?" Dean cocked up an eyebrow. 

"Since when do you wear lipsticks?" 

****************************** 

The knock at the door forced Dean to get up from in front of the TV. She peered into the peephole and frowned when she saw who was standing outside her door. She yanked the door open. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" 

Nicole lifted her gaze to the frowning face. "I had to see you…" 

"Let me guess, you missed me…" Dean retorted. 

"Yes…" 

The answer came totally unexpected that Dean was at lost for words. She blinked blankly for a few moments but then her defenses came up again. 

"What do you want Nicole…?" 

"You…" 

Dean chuckled dryly. "Let's not get into that game again, Nicole… You know you'll lose…" 

"I was hoping that I would…" 

"Go home Nicole…" Dean said. "Go to home to your rich life and your rich boyfriend and stop bugging the hell out of me…" 

What happened next was a blur but Dean felt Nicole's mouth on hers and Dean forgot whatever it was she was angry about… 

At the back of her mind, Nicole heard the door slammed shut and Dean's arm sliding through her waist, drawing her body against hers. 

Dean was already unfastening Nicole's silk blouse, pulling her bra down to expose her breasts as she lowered her onto the bed and covered Nicole's half naked body with hers. Her mouth skillfully aroused her swelling breasts and hardened nipples, while her hand insinuated itself beneath her skirt and pulled down the lace band of her underpants. 

Nicole bit softly into her lips to trap the cry that bubbled up inside her as Dean's hand slipped between her thighs. She was touching her with an intimacy that sent a blaze of desire through her. 

"Dean!" Her voice was high with desire as she felt Dean pushed her legs further apart. 

Dean's lips came crushing down on hers, smothering any further cries. An explosion of desire ripped through Nicole as she felt Dean's tongue probed deeply, teasing her with her expert kisses. Her hands moved down the length of her body with long, unhurried strokes. When her mouth left her lips, her voice was husky and deep. 

"Do you want me, Nicky?" she asked, her voice raw with emotion. She kissed her again, a long, demanding kiss forcing her lips to open, and a fierce blaze of desire made Nicole shudder. She wrapped her arms around her, clasping her back and pulling her down on her. 

"Dean…" Nicole pressed her nails deep into Dean's back as her strong fingers teased her intimately, making her cry out with pleasure. She knew what she wanted and still apart of her tried to deny the impact of her feelings till she could take it no more. 

"Please…Oh, god…" she pleaded, moving against her with an abandon she had not thought possible. "Dean!" the cry was torn from her; it was the final admission of defeat and surrender. All she could feel was the sheer pleasure and ecstasy. 

It seemed an eternity before they were both fully satisfied. Afterwards Nicole curled up against Dean, hiding in the crook of her arm, and fell into a deep welcoming sleep. 

The moment Dean opened her eyes she found Nicole sitting at the edge the bed, putting her blouse back on. 

"Nicky…" 

Dean saw her shoulders stiffened. Suddenly, she got up and turned to her. 

"Well, that was good…" she said. 

Dean frowned not to sure how to react to that. "Thank you?" 

"Actually, thank _ you_…I was only curious…" Nicole said as she began to hunt for her shoe. 

"I'm sorry, what?" Dean was beginning to dread the answer even before Nicole answered her. 

"I was curious about fucking a girl and you cleared it for me…" Nicole said. "Thanks…" 

"Now hold on a bloody second…" Dean sprang up on her feet. She grabbed her shirt and hastily put it on. "Mind telling me what the hell that supposed to mean?" 

"Breathing the muck in this place must have gotten into your brain…" Nicole said. "I just wanted a fuck… That's all…" 

"Oh…" was all Dean capable to say as the realization sank into her. 

"Well, goodbye…" 

With that the door slammed shut. 

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To be continued... 

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	6. Part 6

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Say Cheese - Part 6 

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"Anybody know why Glass cancelled class today?" Harrison asked as they made their way to the cafeteria. 

"I think she said she had to go see a doctor…" Carmen said. "A liver specialist…" 

"I reckon that's the least of her problems…" Lily said. "What that woman need is a brain specialist…" 

Nicole looked up when she heard laughs. She saw the troop walking into the cafeteria. Her eyes immediately seek for Dean and she saw her at the back, smiling at what Lily was saying. Oh, she looked so good in black tee and cargo pants hanging low on her hips. A glimpse of her flat stomach peeked just above the waistline. Dread washed over her. 

_She must hate me now…_

_Duh… Of course she does you dick head… You just humiliated her last night…_An imaginary hand slapped the back of Nicole's head. 

_Okay, so I went there to prove a point…That I am not attracted to her and that her kiss had not been branded on my lips and in my heart…But when as soon as she opened the door and seeing her in a night shirt… I completely forgot what I was supposed to do except I want to be with her… That scared the shit out of me…and after making love… _

Oh, that sounded good… Not just sex but making love… And as I lay in her arms… I realized that I Nicole Julian, second in command of the cheerleading squad, one of the most popular girl in school - are actually falling… 

"Nicky…" 

Nicole's mental tirade burst with a pop. 

"Where were you last night?" Mary Cherry asked. 

Nicole froze. "At home…" 

"No, you're not…" Mary Cherry said. "I called your house and your maid said you went out. I tried your handset but it was turned off…" 

"Oh, yeah… I went out for a while… I must have left my phone switched off…" 

"Oh, okay…" Mary Cherry sounded satisfied with the answer. 

Nicole turned back her earlier task but she realized the troop were nowhere to be seen. She bit her lips. _Damn… Oh, wait… There they are… Huh… Spam is at her side again. What's up with that girl? Can't she find someone else to cling to? _

**************************** 

Brooke squinted in the harsh glare of the sun overhead. She could barely see the track team going through their routines among the heat line that emanated from the tracks. It had to be at least ninety degrees and with each step, her sneakers sank into the sticky tar. 

She looked around to see where her squad is. She saw Poppy talking to one of the athletes while Mary Cherry was…err… Sunbathing? She can't tell but she was sitting in the middle of the field in a lounge chair, putting suntan oil on her legs. _Whatever_… Brooke shook her head. Nicole was nowhere to be seen. 

Her gaze shifted to the seats behind her and spotted Dean bending over her camera equipment bag. She was engrossed in fastening her lenses that she didn't notice Brooke coming up to her. 

"Hello…" 

Dean looked up. She smiled when she saw Brooke. "Hi…" 

"You know, you've been here for months but we haven't actually been introduced…" Brooke said, smiling. "Let's start over, I'm Brooke McQueen…" she extended her hand. 

Dean got up from her hunches and took the hand offered. "Dean McLeod…" she said. 

"You're covering today's practice?" Brooke asked. 

"Yeah, we're doing a piece about the track team and the interschool championship…" 

"I see…" Brooke nodded. 

"And you're having your practice today? It's so damn hot…" Dean said. 

"It depends…" Brooke said. "If we don't melt first…" she said as she sat down on one of the plastic seats. She quickly jumped up at contact with the baking heat. 

Dean chuckled. "Oopps… Should have told you about the seats…" 

"Thanks a lot…" Brooke said, rubbing her torched behind. 

Dean studied Brook. It wasn't hard to understand why Sam had fallen for the girl. Her honey blond hair fell in a soft shining mass straight down to her shoulder. The soft tendrils at her ears frame a face of flawless, vivid beauty. Her cheekbones were slightly high, her nose small, her chin delicately rounded, but her eyes were her most arresting feature. Beneath the arc of her brows, long curly lashes fringed eyes that were startling, luminous blue eyes. 

"Are you seeing Sam?" 

Dean cocked up an eyebrow. "Seeing? What do you mean by seeing?" 

Brooke shifted on her feet nervously. "I mean, are the two of you… seeing each other romantically?" 

Dean's eyebrow shot up another few inches. _Where did that came from? Did I detect jealousy there? Hmm…_She chuckled.   
"You mean are we dating each other?" 

Brooke nodded. 

"No…" Dean laughed. 

"Hey…" 

They both turned to see Sam walking towards them. 

"Hey you…" Dean couldn't help grinning. 

"Hey Sam…"Brooke said. 

"What are you guys up to?" Sam asked. 

"Oh, we're just talking…" Dean said. 

"Really… Anything worth putting in the papers?" Sam cocked up her eyebrow. 

"Is the paper all that you think about, Sam?" Brooke asked suddenly. 

"Huh?" This time both eyebrows shot up. 

"Whatever… I got practice to go to… See you around…" 

Sam stared at Brooke's marching backside, dumbfounded. She turned to Dean. "What was that all about?" 

Dean shrugged. "Hey, don't ask me… She's your girlfriend…" 

Sam shot her a murderous glare. 

"Oohh… Wrong button to push…" Dean said backing away. 

"Let's just get the interview done so that after this I can kill you…" 

Dean laughed as she hauled her camera bag onto her shoulder. "Right-O, Boss…" 

Sam let the Coach drone on about his new training method. She wasn't even listening. She eyes were planted way over his shoulder as she watched Brooke in her practice. 

"And that, is how we're going to win the championship…" 

Sam realized the Coach had stopped talking. She smiled. "Yes, thank you Sir. I think I have all the information I need…" she said as she dumped her tape recorder into her bag. She headed to Dean who was standing near the finishing post taking pictures of the sprinters as they pass the finish line 

"You finished?" Dean asked. 

Sam nodded. Dean crouched down to put her camera back in its case. Sam watched her for a moment. But then, her eyes wandered again to the cheerleaders. 

"Sam, you're drooling…" Dean whispered. 

Sam swatted her with her legal pad. "Like you're not drooling over Satan…" 

At the mention of Nicole, Dean's expression hardened. "That's different…" she said. 

"Huh? Why is it different?" Sam asked. 

"I had actually slept with her…" Dean said. "You don't even have the courage to tell the girl you love about your feelings…" 

"You get to sleep with Satan cause she's a whore…" Sam quipped. 

"As much as I agree with you…" Dean said as she too began to watch the squad. "I have to admit that, at the same time… I'm hoping that you're wrong…" 

"Oh, don't go mushy on me, McLeod…" Sam said. "It's creepy…" 

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Isk! meleret plak citer nih... hmm.. To be continued... 

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	7. Part 7

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Say Cheese - Part 7 

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This is a small apartment. But it was cozy. The living part of the room was about eight by ten feet with two small windows facing out onto a brick wall. A single light fixture in the ceiling held a single light bulb. The wooden floor was dark and unpolished. 

About the same size as the living room was the kitchen area, with cracked linoleum floor. There were a few cabinets attached to the wall at varying heights, a stained porcelain sink and a refrigerator with a puddle of water under it. A new stove, with labels still attached had been jammed between the sink and the refrigerator. There were no bedroom; the bed is just a mattress on the floor in front of the TV set. 

Not exactly what I had grown up with but somehow, I didn't mind. If a week ago, someone would have told me that I would be here, in this part of town, in this small apartment, in this bed, with this person, I would have shoved them off a roof with my pumps stuck up their ass but here I am and the figure sleeping beside me breathed evenly in her sleep. 

I had expected her to kick me out as soon as she found me outside her door when I came here the second time. Instead, she just looked at me with hurt, confusion and desire all at the same time. I guess she didn't want to ask me what I was doing here because she didn't want me to answer like I did the last time. If she did, I didn't know what to answer also, other then going into denial mode and any thing that comes out of my mouth will sound cold and harsh. Where is this relationship heading to I don't know… 

Relationship? What relationship? We were just fucking each other senseless every night for the past week. 

Why am I doing this? More importantly, why am I doing this to her? God, she looked so beautiful when she's asleep, so gentle and at peace. I longed to trace my finger along the hard-set jaw, kiss the tip of the nose, not to mention the brooding lips. But that would wake her up. I've learned earlier on that she was a light sleeper. 

I don't want to hurt her… Far from that but I can't even admit to myself, the feelings I have for her, I can't say it to her… How can I tell others? …I am too scared. What would other people say? God, Spam would love to scoop this one up… My mom would certainly kill me or worse, disown me… what about her parents? 

Come to think of it… She had never mentioned her parents or other siblings to me and she lives in this apartment alone… Not even a picture of them could be found here. And she's a photographer… Weird isn't it? I guess she didn't have any… In a way she's lucky. She doesn't have to face the task of bringing home her girlfriend to be introduced to her mom…

Already 1am. I better get going before it gets too late. There's still school tomorrow. I slid off the bed, careful not to wake her up. Now, where is my bra…? Hmm… Oh yeah… Didn't wear any… What's the use…? She took it off me faster than I can get it on… Damn expert fingers… I got dressed as quietly as I could and found my keys near the door. The door closed behind me with a soft click… 

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To be continued... 

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	8. Part 8

**[Note] :** I got this mental image of the girls in a pool and this chapter popped out 

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Say Cheese - Part 8 

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"So, your parents are out of town again this week, eh?" 

Brooke nodded as she climbed out of Nicole's car. She glanced and saw Sam's car already parked at its usual place. She smiled inwardly. _ She's home_! Her heart cried out. 

_Suddenly, the door burst open and there stood Sam, looking beautiful as always. She smiled when she saw Brooke. _

"Hello…" 

"Hi…" Brooke answered as she walked up to the door. 

Sam's grin became wider as she drew closer. Then, she reached out and gathered Brooke in her arms and captured her mouth with her own. 

"Brookie…?" 

Brooke snapped out of her reverie with a start. 

"Why are you staring at the door like that?" 

_Trust Mary Cherry to come out with a question like that…_

"Its hot out here… Let's go in…" 

Sam gave a sigh of contentment as she rolled lazily on her stomach, unable to move as the heat of the sun beat down on her. She could barely open her eyes as she began to drift to sleep. 

"Okay! Drinks for everybody!" 

Carmen's voice pierced into her brain but her eyes refused to open. All of a sudden, she felt a hard slap on her bottoms and she abruptly sat up. 

"Huh? What?" she asked, her sunglasses sliding off down her nose. 

Carmen giggled. "Coke…" she said handing her a bottle.

"Uh… Ummm… Thanks Carm…" She pushed her glasses up her nose again. The cold drink was heavenly as she took a hearty swig. 

"Anyone ever told you, you drink like a fish…?" 

Sam made at face Dean who sat on the chaise lounge not far away. 

"Anyone up for a dip?" Lily didn't wait for an answer as she tossed the towel she had wrapped around her waist. It landed right on top of Sam's head. She then dived in. She gave a cry as the she hit the cold water and then disappeared underneath the waves she created. 

A few moments later, her head came up. "God, this is life…" she said. 

The others smiled. 

"Good thing you're not working today…" Sam said. 

"Yeah… Can't stand the Boss standing over my shoulder talking about breast again…" 

"Huh? Breast?" Dean interrupted them. "What about 'em?" 

Sam shot her with a rubber band. "Chicken breast you divvy!" 

"Oh, okay…" Dean said rubbing the side of her rib where the band had hit her. 

"Oh, sight straight from the heaven above!" 

The girls turned to find Harrison standing at his window. 

"Angels frolicking in the pool of love…" he chorused. 

"Flattery won't get you in here Harrison!" Sam shouted back at him. "Go away!" 

Harrison laughed. "You sure?" he asked. "I'm one heck of a pool boy!" 

"In your dreams!" 

"Promise?" 

Brooke could here the laughter coming from the back of the house. Obviously Sam was not alone. She headed in direction of the pool. The sight that greeted her made her mouth water. At the far end of the pool, was Sam. Her long, slender legs glistened with suntan oil, and her long dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Her beautiful face with its high cheekbones was half hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses, and her perfect figure was displayed in a black two-piece swimsuit. 

"Oh, hi Brooke…You're home…" 

Brooke smiled to Carmen who had spotted her standing at the patio door. Sam looked up and to her surprise, gave her a huge grin. 

"Hey, listen to this…" Dean said unaware of the new presence. Without looking up, she began reading from the newspaper. "In London, they conducted an IQ test live on TV and according to their result, BLONDES, it seems are not all that dumb after all. They averaged a score of 107 and surpassed those with black and red tresses by one point…" 

"Better believe it McLeod…" 

Dean's head snapped up at the sound of the voice. Nicole was looking at her smugly. 

Nicole saw the muscle in her jaw tightened. But then, her expression turned into one of indifference and she raised her paper back, hiding her face from view. 

"Is this a private party or anyone can join?" Mary Cherry asked. 

"Sure, anyone can join…" Carmen said cheerfully jumping at the opportunity to mingle with the 'upper crust' 

"Anyone?" Harrison piped in again. 

"Not you!" They all chorused simultaneously. 

Brooke lay back, floating on the water; it was fun just to drift in the water, splashing her arms now and again. She was unaware of two pairs of brown eyes watching her. One drooling, one plotting. 

Dean caught Sam's eyes and then tipped her head slightly toward the house. Sam frowned. Her expression was one of confusion. Again, Dean tipped her head. It took Sam a few moments before realizing what Dean was indicating. She then nodded and got up. 

Nicole saw the exchange and frowned. More so when Dean also got up and followed Sam inside. A sinking feeling begin to descend on her. She had to find out what's going on with the two. 

Brooke heard the splash and she thought nothing of it. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her foot, and within minutes she was swirling in the depths of the pool. A pair of arms were wound tightly around her waist and they surfaced in unison, their bodies locked together. 

Sam laughed as Brooke gasped and struggled for release. She was enjoying the feel of her wet body fused next to her. But she was no longer laughing as she realized one of Brooke's bikini straps had become loose in the struggle and her breast were heaving against hers. 

Brooke colored as she followed the direction of her gaze. She pushed away and this time Sam didn't stop her. She released her instantly. Brooke hastily redid her strap. When she looked up, Sam was still watching her. There were something in the depth of the liquid brown eyes. Was it desire? 

"Hey! I wanna play too!" 

A loud splash broke the contact and as Mary Cherry surfaced up, Sam was already climbing out of the pool. 

"Hey, Sam…" Carmen called out. "Where are you going?" 

"Inside…" she answered. "I'm tired…" 

Dean slapped her forehead in frustration. _For god sake! What the hell is Sam doing? She had given Sam the idea and had hinted that Sam should show Brooke a bit of affection. Not acting like a mare in heat! And more disappointing, her protégée had left the pool looking like a dejected cat._ She shook her head as she watched Sam walked back into the house from the upstairs bedroom. 

"What are you doing?" 

She spun around to see Nicole eyeing her curiously. "Nothing…" 

"Slapping your forehead red is nothing?" Nicole asked as she came to stand beside her. She looked down on what Dean was looking but all she could see was Mary Cherry doing backstrokes. "You're watching Mary Cherry?" 

"Is that so strange?" Dean asked. 

"Well, yeah… I mean that's _ Mary Cherry_…" Nicole said as if that would clear everything up. 

"Stranger things have happened…" 

"Like what?" Nicole turned and a bit startled when she found the brown eyes looking down at her. "Strange as in Easter Bunny strange?" 

"Nah… Sleeping with you…" 

Dean saw the hurt in her eyes and she felt a jab of guilt. They had never talked about that, not even during the times of her 'visits'. They were too busy ripping each other's clothes to bother for words. And she was afraid of what are the consequences when they talked it out. 

What she did next was the only solution she knew that could make Nicole compliant. She pulled her into her arms and closed her mouth on hers. Nicole didn't fight the kiss. The feeling that passed between them was electric but neither Dean nor Nicole wanted to think about it as they tumbled down onto Sam's bed. 

Suddenly the door swung open and Sam came walking into the room. Her eyes widened at sight of the tangled limbs on her bed. 

"Argh!!" 

They both jumped away from each other. 

"My eyes!" Sam cried. "Oh, god! I'm blind!" 

"Spam!" 

It was lucky that Dean was quick to grab Nicole before she jumped on Sam. "Whoa…! Nicole… It's okay… Nicky… Listen to me…" She tried to explain. "Spam – I mean Sam, already knows…" 

Nicole stopped struggling. "What?" 

"I've known about you two for ages…" Sam said still covering her eyes. 

"And you didn't publish it in the papers?" Nicole asked in disbelief. 

"Surprised?" Sam asked. "It surprised the hell out of me too…" she said. 

"She's doing it as a favor for me…" Dean said. 

"Can I open my eyes now?" Sam asked. 

Dean chuckled. "Yes, Sam…" 

Sam peeked between her fingers, checking that the sight was indeed safe and then she dropped her hands. She grinned. "You don't know how hard it was to keep such a juicy bit from slipping into the papers…" 

Again, Nicole lunged for her. 

"Sam!" Dean said exasperated. 

"Okay-okay…" Sam said. "Rest assured Satan…. I won't publish this one…Ever…" 

Nicole eyed her skeptically. 

"Nicky! You up there?" Mary Cherry's voice traveled up from the foot of the stairs. "Can you send me home?" 

"Coming Mary Cherry…" Nicole answered back. Without lifting her eyes of Sam, she brushed past her and headed downstairs. 

Sam turned to Dean after she was gone. "I still don't know what you see in her…" 

"Never mind about that…" Dean said. "More important is… What the hell were you doing in the pool just now?" 

Sam reddened. 

******************************************************************************************************* 

To be continued... 

******************************************************************************************************* 


	9. Part 9

******************************************************************************************************* 

Say Cheese - Part 9 

******************************************************************************************************** 

Sam walked into the kitchen to find Nicole sitting at the table with a tub of ice cream in front of her. She looked up when she heard someone came in and when she saw Sam, she looked down again. Sam went to the refrigerator. 

"So, you and Dean, eh?" 

The question startled her but Nicole refused to be shaken by Spam. "What about me and Dean?" 

"You two serious?" 

"It's none of your business, Spam..." 

"Like hell it is, Dean is my friend and I don't want to see her get hurt..." Sam said coming to stand in front of Nicole. 

"It's nothing, all right - " Nicole said. 

"Nothing?" Sam asked. "What the hell do you mean by nothing?" 

"It's nothing, because it was a one-night stand -" Nicole said, seriously feeling like staking the brunette in front of her. "It was a hiccup - it was a one night -" 

"Oh, I think that you slept with her more than once, Nicole... " 

_Uh-huh Spam using her real name... Erk!_

"All right, I slept with her a couple of times, but that was it..." Nicole said. 

"How many?" Sam asked. 

"A couple!" 

"How many?" 

"What do you want to know for? " Nicole bristled. 

"How many?" 

"Six, all right…?" Nicole said, annoyed. "Six!" 

"Six one night stands?" Sam raised her eyebrows. "I think you're kidding yourself, Nicole..." 

"Let's just drop this conversation, all right...?" Nicole said. "Shouldn't you be doing reports or something...?" 

Sam shrugged. "Nah, done, finished..." 

"All right, well why don't you go and get your nose checked or something…?" Nicole suggested. 

"Do you love her?" 

"Oh, you are mad. You're mad…." 

Nicole's denials came up full force. 

"I'm not going to fight you anymore, Spam." She said. "You think what you like, all right? You think what you like..." 

Sam sat down at the table, regarding Nicole intensely. "I don't know if I like you seeing Dean..." 

"What? You don't like me seeing Dean?" 

"I don't know if I like that... " 

"Why?" 

"Cause you're going a bit soft on me, Satan..." Sam said, breaking into a smile. 

"I am not going soft on you - " Nicole shook her spoon at Sam threateningly. "Dean McLeod is not going to make me go soft on you..." 

Sam laughed. "I think you're in love..." 

"What?" 

"I think you're in love... " Sam repeated. 

Nicole struggled to keep herself from grinning. "Get outta here..." 

Sam smiled knowing her words had struck its mark. "I'd better get out of here then, hey?" 

"Yeah, you'd better..." 

Sam got up to leave. "Hey Satan..." 

Nicole looked up to her. 

"You're not so bad after all..." 

******************************************************************************************************* 

To be continued... 

Bangun pagi, Gosok gigi, Cuci muka, Pakai baju, Minum kopi, Makan roti, Saya suka hati... 

******************************************************************************************************* 


	10. Part 10

***************************************************************************************************************************

Say Cheese - Part 10

***************************************************************************************************************************

Brooke tossed her damp towel in the hamper and went over to her dressing table. She picked up her hairbrush and began brushing her hair. The house was quiet. The others must have left. She glanced at the clock on her table. It's already 8. Her stomach grumbled lightly. She finished brushing her hair and padded out of her bedroom. She headed downstairs into the kitchen. 

Sam stared down at the sparkling blue water swirling in the pool. The soft music from the stereo placed on the pool table floated languidly in the air. She had stood there for the last thirty minutes, nursing her drink. She wondered what Brooke is doing. 

"Sam?" Brooke was careful not to startle her. 

Sam turned at the sound of the voice. "What are you doing out here…?" she asked. 

"I should ask you the same question, don't you think?" Brooke asked as she came to stand beside her. 

"I'm just…" Sam paused. "Thinking, that's all…" 

"Penny for them…" 

Sam half smiled. "It's nothing of importance…" she said."Where's Satan?" 

"She left..." Brooke said. "Something about going to see a friend downtown... Though I've never heard of her having a friend downtown..." 

Sam nodded. 

"Sam…" Brooke started. "I've been meaning to talk you…" 

Sam raised her eyebrows. "Talk? About what?" 

"About us…" 

Color rushed to Sam's cheeks at the statement. "What about us?" 

"Have you noticed that we don't fight anymore?" 

"And that is bad because?" 

Brooke smiled. "I didn't say it was bad… I'm just saying that, it's strange…" 

"You rather have us biting each other's throat rather than have a civilized conversation?" 

_Uh-huh… The thought of biting Sam McPherson… that sounded delicious…_

"That wasn't what I meant either…" Brooke said. 

Sam stared at her. The blue eyes reflecting the shimmering water. 

Brooke was becoming quite unnerved by the stare. So, she walked to the chaise lounge and sat down. "I kinda missed you…" She said. "Well, fighting with you…" _ Because at least when we fight, I know that you paid enough attention to me to get irritated… indifference meanwhile, hurts too much…_

"I'm tired of fighting…" Sam said. "Exchanging verbal abuse with you takes a lot of energy, ya know that?" she sat down beside Brooke. 

Brooke had to keep her hand clasped in her lap so that she won't reach over and hug Sam. The heat emanating from her body is making her pulses go haywire. _ If you want to concentrate on what she's saying, then you better keep your distance…_

Sam felt Brooke scooting away from her. _ Oh, god… she can't even stand sitting beside me_. She stared at the black liquid in her mug. 

"Sam, what's really bothering you?" Brooke asked. "I know you well enough to know that something's eating you…" 

Sam just sat in silence. 

"Is it about Dean?" 

"No…" 

"Are you in love with her?" 

"Huh? What?" Sam looked at her, bewildered. 

"Cause sometimes I get this feeling that the two of you are more than friends…" 

"No, I'm not in love with Dean…" 

Brooke couldn't help sighing in relief. "Then, what is it? Tell me…Please…" 

"You really want to know?" 

"Yes…" 

"You might not like what you hear…" 

"Sam, just tell me…" 

"I'm in love with you…" 

"What?" Brooke was momentarily speechless. She stared at her. 

Sam sighed heavily. "I don't know how, or why so don't ask me… But … I found myself developing feelings for you… Hell, if it weren't for Mary Cherry today, I would've kissed you…" she said. "God knows how much I wanted to… I went to sleep with you on my mind… Dreamt about you… The first thing I thought of when I got up were you… Everyday, every hour…" 

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

"What do you want me to say? –' Brooke, I think I'm in love with you, and oh, by the way… I'm also having wet dreams about you'?" 

In spite of herself, Brooke giggled. "That definitely would have freaked me out…" 

Sam failed to find the humor in it, so she just looked at her. "I didn't know what to do… I tried to make the feelings would go away… But instead, it grew stronger… And I was confused… I never felt this way about anyone before… I have never fallen for a woman…" 

Brooke stared at her mouth. Sam was so busy in her thoughts that she didn't notice it. 

"Dean made me realize how much I love you… How much I wished that instead of Josh, you'd love me…" 

"You're blind, Sam…" Brooke said. 

"What?" 

"You can't see what's in front of you…" 

Sam frowned. 

"Me, Sam…" Brooke said. "Me…" 

"Oh, don't do this to me, Brooke…" Sam got up. 

"Sam…" Brooke got up too. 

"You're not gay…" she said. 

"I think I know what I am…" 

"And I don't think you wanna be one…" 

Brooke grabbed Sam's head and kissed her. Sam was too surprised to react but then, she realized what was happening. Their hot lips seeks each other with mutual hunger. 

When they finally broke apart, both were gasping for breath. With pulses leaping they stared into each other's eyes. 

"You talk to much you know that…" Brooke whispered. 

"I love you…" Sam whispered, choking back tears. 

"I love you too…" Brooke kissed the tip of Sam's nose. 

They kissed again, this time with an explosion of desire ripping through them. They fell back onto the chair. Their arms entwined as they locked lips together in a hot embrace. 

*************************************************************************************************************************** 

[ Sorry, not in the mood to write smut so, this would have to do... ]

-To be continued - 

*************************************************************************************************************************** 


	11. Part 11

***************************************************************************************************************************

Say Cheese - Part 11

***************************************************************************************************************************

"Morning class…" Glass came in with her usual flourish entrance. 

"How's your liver doing Miss Glass?" Carmen asked. 

"Minding its own business…" came the gruff reply. 

Suddenly, a knock came and the Principal's secretary walked in. "Excuse me Miss Glass, a message for your student…" she handed Glass a piece of paper and walked out. 

Glass glanced at the paper. "McLeod!" she called out. 

Dean raised her eyebrows. 

"Principal's office, now…" 

"Hey… Whatever it is it's not my fault…" Dean said, holding up her hands. 

"Someone's waiting for you…" 

"Oh, okay…" 

The cafeteria was packed with the usual crowd as Sam headed to her usual table. She found the rest of the gang already there. She glanced over to the 'Popular' table and saw Brooke watching her. Their eyes met and she broke into a grin. 

"I don't think its fair…" Harrison said as he watched the two lovebirds play eye contact. 

"What's not fair?" Carmen asked. 

"I spent my whole life pining for Brooke McQueen and suddenly she turned out gay…" Harrison said. "And to add salt to the wound, her lover happens to be my best friend… How twisted can one get…?" 

"You can't force love, Harrison…" Carmen said. 

"Since your chances of winning her now is like, absolutely zilch… Move on…" Lily said. 

"What are you guys talking about?" Sam asked finally turning to her friends. 

"Harrison here is just whining about his lack of luck in the women's department…" 

"I'm sure there's a Miss Right for you out there, Harrison…" Sam said. 

"Or Mr. Right…" Lily added cheekily. 

"Oh, god! No!" Harrison said. 

The girls laughed. 

"Where's Dean…?" 

They all turned to find Nicole standing beside their table. 

"Hello to you too, Satan…" Sam said, though the name now holds no more animosity. 

"Dean's not with you guys?" 

"Hadn't seen her since lab… Why?" 

"Can't seem to find her anywhere…" Nicole said. 

Sam detected the carefully concealed panic in the usually composed cheerleader. "I'm sure she'll turn up…" 

"Hmm…" Nicole nodded absently and walked back to her table. 

"What's that all about?" Lily asked. 

"Since when does Nicole even notice Dean exists?" Carmen asked. 

Sam just shrugged. 

*************************************************************************************************************************** 

-To be continued - 

*************************************************************************************************************************** 


	12. Part 12

***************************************************************************************************************************

Say Cheese - Part 12

***************************************************************************************************************************

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was the small TV opposite the bed I have been sleeping on. I closed my eyes again. I am already depressed I know I couldn't get up, and the day wasn't ten seconds old. I turned on my back… Well- that could count as my exercise for the day. I pulled the blanket over my head, inhaling the scent of her. Good. More exercise. Now, perhaps the day would go away. 

She had been missing for a week. She hadn't been to school, she's not in her apartment – I should know, I've been sleeping here ever since she went missing. Spam didn't know where she is, not even Principal Hall. Seems like she had disappeared into thin air. The last day she was in school, a woman came to see her and then, she was gone. 

I realized now what I wanted, more than anything, was to have her back. Back here, lying in this lumpy bed. I want her arms around me. I want to open my eyes and see her brown ones looking down at me. Now there is only her empty pillow lying beside me. I reached out for it and nestled it against my chest, trying to imagine as if it was her I am hugging. 

I think I should get up and take a shower. I am too tired to stand and my body is too limp to be safe in a bathtub. Then again, the idea of rolling under a tub full of water and dying was not altogether an unattractive one. Except for the part about breathing the water in. That would hurt like a bastard. I hate to get water up my nose. 

If only I had sleeping pills – lots of them and the good kind, the kind that kills you. None of that over-the-counter Sominex stuff that gives you diarrhea. The only thing I found in the medicine cabinet was a half-empty bottle of Nyquil. Hey, stop being so negative – the bottle was half full or had been till I got my hands on it. 

I got up from the bed and reached for my sweatpants – well, they were hers actually – and slipped into them. As I pulled the waistband up over my legs and thighs, I realized those were the thighs that she had stroked a week ago. A hot tear, and then another one, escaped from under my right eyelid and immediately coursed down my cheek and into the crease beside my nose. I miss her… God, I miss her… 

*************************************************************************************************************************** 

-To be continued - 

*************************************************************************************************************************** 


	13. Final

* * *

Say Cheese - Final Chapter

* * *

"You sure Nic's here?" 

Brooke looked around her in amazement. The thought of her friend Nicole would be in such a shabby old building with its wallpapers already peeling off was so absurd, she's beginning to think that Sam had made it all up to get her into a motel room – Not that she minded but for god sake, can't she find someplace other than this dump… 

"This is Dean's place…" Sam said. 

Even more absurd...! What would Nicole be doing in Dean's place? 

They reached a door at the end of the hall. Sam knocked. 

"Nicole? Are you in there?" 

No answer. 

"Nicole… Open the door… It's me Sam and Brooke…" 

Silence. 

Sam tried the door. It was not locked. She pushed it open. 

Brooke stepped inside the room and gasped. Nicole was lying on a mattress at a corner of the room. She was curled up in a semi-fetal position, hugging a pillow tightly in her arms. 

"Oh, god… Nicky…" Brooke ran to her. 

The voices sounded far away. Nicole forced her eyes open. "Dean?" 

"It's me honey, Brooke…" 

"Brookie?" Nicole blinked a few times, adjusting her vision. "Did they found Dean?" 

Brooke winced as Nicole grabbed her arms fiercely. What happened to her? She looked terrible. "No, there hasn't been any news about Dean…" 

"Nicole…" Sam sat down. "Come on, let's get you home…" 

"No…" Nicole shook her head, arms still tightly wound around the pillow. "I want to stay here… In case she comes back…" 

Brooke looked over at Sam, she herself near tears. 

"Nicole…" Sam said more firmly. "You can't torture yourself like this. I know you love her" 

Brooke raised her eyebrows but Sam ignored her. This is not the time for explanations. 

"But being holed up in here isn't going to make her come back…" 

"Why did she leave?" Nicole mumbled. "Was it me…?" 

"No, Nicole…" 

"It's because I can't tell her how I feel isn't it?" Nicole didn't seem to have heard what Sam said. "You were right Sam…" Nicole started to sob. "I love her… I love her…" 

The two got hold of Nicole's shoulder and forced her to get to her feet. Brooke tried to pry the pillow off but the more she tried, the tighter Nicole's grip became. She gave up trying. Leaving Sam to support her, Brooke gathered Nicole's things and together, they guided her out. 

Brooke closed Nicole's bedroom door softly, as not to disturb the sleeping bundle on the bed. Sam was standing outside the room. She leaned into her arms. 

"You knew about them…" 

Sam nodded. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

"I figured it was not my place to say anything…" Sam said. 

"Poor Nicky" Brooke said. "Why is Dean doing this to her?" she asked. "She didn't love her?" 

"She does…" Sam said. "I am sure of that. This missing thing has nothing to do with Nicole " 

"Did you try to find out about Dean from Principal Hall?" 

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but she doesn't know much about the woman that came to see her. She just said that the woman came with an excuse letter for Dean and then they left…" 

"What about her school records? There must be a contact number or an address…" 

"The students records are confidential… I don't have access to them…" 

"But a student is missing…" Brooke said. "Shouldn't we be calling a police or something…" 

"No official missing report have been made by the parents or the guardian…" Sam said. "The police can't do anything… Anyway, according to school report, she's on official absence- because of that excuse letter…" 

"What do you know about Dean?" Brooke asked. 

Sam shrugged. "Not much… She never liked to talk about her family. She did mention about her parents and a brother once but that's all… As far as what are their names or where they are, I don't know…" 

"I don't like all this…" Brooke sighed. Sam tightened her arm around Brooke's waist. 

"Neither do I " she said. "I never thought I'd feel this, but I actually hurt seeing Satan like that…" 

*********************** 

"Have you seen today's paper?" 

Sam turned from her locker to see Carmen standing beside her. "Erm, no Carm. Why? Anything interesting in there?" 

"Oh, nothing much – Just this…" 

Carmen spread the morning's paper right in front of Sam's face. 

Sam frowned. She took the paper from Carmen. The headline read: "CALIFORNIA OIL BARON DAVID MORAN DIED AT THE AGE OF 80" 

The entire page was devoted to the pictures of the funeral and wake. 

"Look who's standing beside the casket…" Carmen said. 

In the center of the page was a picture of the procession. A figure was walking beside the casket. It was disturbingly familiar. 

"Dean?" 

"It turned out that our mysterious friend is actually the granddaughter of David Moran – the oil tycoon. They've been in oil for generations…" 

"How dreadfully uncomfortable for them…" Sam clipped. 

"That's why she hadn't been to school…" Carmen said. "Because her grandfather was sick…" 

Sam was still staring at the picture. "I wonder if Nicole had seen this…" 

"Well, who would've thought…" Mary Cherry said as she applied a second layer to her already thick lips. "The LA dyke is actually rich…" 

Brooke was not listening to her. She was more concerned with Nicole who hadn't said a word since Mary Cherry came into the Novak carrying the paper. Now, she just sat on the couch staring at the picture. 

"I knew the name McLeod is somewhat familiar…" Mary Cherry continued on. "My momma might have mentioned the name a few times – I think they're her associates…" 

"Mary Cherry…" Brooke interrupted her. "Could you leave us for a moment? I need to talk to Nicky alone…" 

Mary Cherry pouted. 

"Please?" 

Mary Cherry threw her lipstick back into her bag with a huff and marched out. 

"Nicky…" 

"I'm happy to know that she's alright…" Nicole finally said. "Even though I don't think that's her…" Nicole ran her finger along the length of the figure clad in a black suit. "It says here that she goes to Hartford Catholic School… Dean doesn't go there… She didn't even own a skirt…" 

Suddenly the door burst open and a panting Mary Cherry came in. "You guys… She's here…" 

"Who's here?" Brooke asked, getting really annoyed with the breathless Texan. 

"McLeod… The rich dyke's here…" 

Dean felt like she was facing a firing squad. Four eyes were staring at her, hard and uncompromising. 

"Hey…" 

Silence… 

Dean ran her fingers in her hair. "I take it you've heard about the funeral…" 

"It's on the front page, Dean…" Sam said. "Hard to miss…" 

"So, what's the story here?" Carmen asked. "Who are you?" 

"I am what you read in there…" 

"Then, why didn't you tell us?" Sam asked. "You went missing for days… Didn't call us… It drove Nicole crazy…" 

_Nicole… _Dean looked down at her boots. 

Lily nudged Harrison. "Why is Nicole freaking out? I don't think she ever said a nice word to Dean…" 

Harrison shrugged. "Beats me…I'm still having shocks about Sam and Brooke… Now I'm thinking that we're going to hear that Dean's with Nicole…" 

"Dean and Nicole?" 

"I'm still waiting for an explanation, Dean…" Sam said. 

"I got expelled from Hartford…" Dean started. 

"Why did Hartford kick you out?" Carmen asked. 

"I was seeing the Principal's daughter…" 

"You got expelled cause you're gay?" 

"No… I got expelled cause we got caught doing the 'nasty' on the Principal's desk…" 

Four mouths gaped open. 

Dean tried not to laugh at the sight in front of her. "When my dad found out that I'm gay, he freaked and disowned me…" she said. "He purposely sent me here to 'teach' me about living without money…" 

"That's why you're living in that old building?" 

Dean nodded. "He froze my trust fund and forbids any contact with any of our family members… He thought that once I've known the harsh life of poverty, I'll announce that I'm back to 'normal' - Like being gay has anything to do with money…" 

"Half of this school would be gay then…" Harrison said. 

"Why didn't you tell us?" 

"My dad said that I could come home once I realized how to live like a normal human being…" Dean said. " I figured since that is an impossible feat to achieve… Might as well live the way I am now. I've never been into money anyways… It was my dad's not mine… So, no point of telling everyone about the McLeod clan when my dad didn't want to acknowledge I exist…" 

"I take it he's still mad?" Sam asked. "That's why you're back here…" 

"Actually, no…" Dean answered. She smiled. "Being the baby girl still has its advantages… My mom reasoned with him and he gave in…" 

"She refused to boink him didn't she?" Harrison said. 

Dean laughed. "I would like to think that he misses me but that would probably be right on the dot…" 

"I just have one other question…" Sam said. 

"What?" 

"You McLeod clan ever heard of a little thing called a 'telephone'?" 

Dean smiled. "I'm sorry about that…" 

"We're not the one you should be apologizing to…" 

Dean raised her eyebrows. 

Sam pointed. 

Dean turned to find Nicole standing behind her. She ached to pull her into her arms and hold and caress her but she couldn't… 

Nicole stared at the brown eyes in front of her. Her features had been seared into her brain. She remembers her perfectly. 

And right in front of everybody, in the middle of Kennedy High School hallway, Nicole grabbed Dean and kissed her. Everything was in the kiss. The pain, the anguish, the torment… The love… 

"Nicky…People are watching…" Dean whispered. 

"Let them…" Nicole said. "I don't care… I love you…" 

"What?" 

"I love you…" Nicole said again. "I don't care what people think… Popularity?" Nicole made a huffing noise. "Hah!" 

"I think kissing her girlfriend in the hallway in front of everybody pretty much boosted her popularity up a couple of notches…" Carmen said. The others smiled. 

"I love you too…" 

Dean leaned over to kiss her again when the punch came. Her head snapped back at impact. "Nicky?!" She cried, holding her nose. 

"That - is for not calling me!" Nicole said. 

"What can I say honey, I'm sorry…" 

"Don't you call me honey…" 

It took all of Brooke's strength to hold Nicole from lunging for another attack. 

"You don't ever get to call me honey again… You understand me, you pig!" 

Blood started to trickle down from Dean's nose. 

"Uh… Dean…You're bleeding…" Lily pointed out. 

That seemed to stop Nicole. 

"Did I hurt you?" she asked. 

"Well, duh!" Dean wiped the blood with the back of her hand. "You practically broke my nose…" 

Nicole tried not to grin. "Well, you deserved it…" 

"Anybody got a Kleenex?" Dean asked. 

"Come on…" Nicole reached out to take her hand. Dean stepped back cautiously. Nicole laughed. "I promise I won't bite…" she said. 

Dean smiled. 

"On second thought… I take that back…" Nicole said, grinning. "I'd love to bite you…" 

"Oh, go get a room already!" Sam said suddenly. 

The two grinned. 

"Talking of rooms… I think somebody broke into mine…" 

"What the hell can they take from that dump of yours?" Sam asked. "The bathroom fixtures?" 

"Actually, my pillow is missing…" 

Nicole turned bright red. 

Sam and Brooke laughed. 

Dean looked at them strangely. 

"You'll find your pillow sitting safe and sound on Nicole's bed…" 

"Huh?" 

"So that when you come for a sleep over, you'll have your own pillow…" Nicole said. 

Dean broke into a huge grin. 

"I'll help you clean up…" Nicole said to Dean. 

"We all better get to class…" Brooke said taking Sam's hand. 

Sam smiled. She leaned over. "I'd love to bite you too…" she said. 

Brooke pinched her arm, turning crimson red. 

Mary Cherry watched the two couples walked away, hand in hand. _So, what now? Gay lifestyle is in? Oh, okay… If the two most popular girls in school are gay, that pretty much means that that is the trend…I have to keep up with the trend… but wait, I'm not gay…Maybe I should get myself a girlfriend…_

Mary Cherry smiled. 

"Oh, Lily…." 

* * *

-The End -   
  
Okay, not exactly a good ending but I just flunk my exam so, kinda in a shitty mood...

* * *


End file.
